AWARENESS MONTH National Slovak Society of the …nsslife.org/wp-content/uploads/NSSNatlNewOct18.pdfA dentist, $2500 per year. A veterinarian between $1500 and $4000 per year. A mechanical

Visit our New Online StoreNSS Life Brand ApparelSee Page 16 for More Info

Region 5 PicnicSee Page 17 for Photos

NÁRODNÉ NOVINYOCTOBER 2018 | NUMBER 3522 VOLUME 110

AWARENESS MONTH

National NewsFall Youth CircleFall Youth Circle

National Slovak Society of the United States of America

Fraternal Life Insurance Since 1890 • Photo Contest Deadline

Extended: October 15th, 2018

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E

Periodical Postage Paid at McMurray, Pennsylvania and Additional Mailing OfficesOwned and Published by the

NATIONAL SLOVAK SOCIETYOF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Organized February 16, 1890351 Valley Brook Road, McMurray, PA 15317-3337

USES 0371-140 - ISSN: 0027-7940Phone: (724) 731- 0094 -- E-Mail: [email protected]

NSS Web Site: www.nsslife.orgFax No: 724-731-0145

Founder and Honorary President, Peter V. Rovnianek

EDITORLORI CROWLEYPublished Monthly

Send articles for publication to:351 Valley Brook Road

McMurray, PA 15317-3337 Deadline: 5th of preceding month

“POSTMASTER” SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO:NATIONAL SLOVAK SOCIETY

351 VALLEY BROOK ROAD, MCMURRAY, PA 15317-3337

NSS EXECUTIVE OFFICERSDavid G. Blazek, FIC, President, CEO & ElderJoseph Stefka, Jr., Chairman of the BoardLinda M. Strom, Secretary/Treasurer, CFO

NSS BOARD OF DIRECTORSAlan Burns

Michael CzarneyAndrea GarbonAbigail GrossRobert KatricakSusan OndrejcoJohn PayerchinJoseph Stefka, Jr.Drew Wesnak

NSS HONORARY OFFICERS

Sophia Hudak, Tribunal MemberAnthony Beno, Director

Dean Burns, Vice-PresidentMary Jo Holker, DirectorEdward Koches, DirectorPaul Payerchin, Jr. Director

Joseph Tomaskovic, Jr., Director

FSWFE HONORARY OFFICERSJustine Wesnak, President

Reverend Monsignor Thomas V. Banick,Spiritual Advisor

ROCWMAS HONORARY OFFICEROlga Kasnot, President

FSWFE and PBU merged with NSS in 1997ROCWMAS merged with the NSS in 1998

Inside this Issue...

From the Executive Officers

Assembly Activities

NSS Financial Matters

NSS News/Activities

Na;rodne; Noviny

Assembly News

NSS Sales Department

�ational �lovak �ocietyN A T I O N A L N E W S

2

Dobre; pravidla;................................. 22Stretnutie sa Slova;kov v Pittsburghu ..................................... 22Septemberfest 2018 v Nas'om NSSMu;zeu ............................................. 22Na obra;zku...................................... 22

Departed Members....................................20PVR Donations ..........................................20Assembly Meetings ............................. 10,15

Youth Circle Magazine .........................11-14Fraternal Activities Coodinator .................16NSS Online Store ......................................16Assembly Photos .................................17-19NSS History ...............................................21Christmas Ornament Contest Rules..........23

Valuable Lesson..........................................7National Sales Director ..............................9

2nd Quarter Financial Page ...........................6Annuity Interest Rate ................................. 8

President’s Column .........................................4Secretary/Treasurer’s Column ........................5

Activities at a Glance......................................3

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REGION 2 Assemblies L075, 0617

October 14 Assembly L075, Meeting, Grande’s Restaurant, Moosic, PA at 2:00 pmNovember 4 Region 2, Bon Appetit, Woodlands Inn & Resort, Wilkes-Barre, PA at 4:00 - 7:00 pmNovember 18 Assembly L075, Wilkes-Barre VA Bingo Party, Recreation Room at 2:00 pm

REGION 5 Assemblies P38A, 0039, 0100, L105, 0108, 0123, L161, 0377, 0434, 0441, 0588, 0737, 0774

October 6 Assembly 0737, Meeting, Godor’s residence, North Huntingdon, PA at 1:00 pmOctober 14 Region 5, Meeting, NSS Home Office, McMurray, PA at 1:00 pmOctober 21 Assembly 0123, Aviary, North Side, PA at 1:00 pmOctober 28 Assembly 0377, Halloween Party, Toscana Brick Oven, Canonsburg, PA at 3:00 pmNovember 3 Assembly 0123, World Vision Warehouse, Sewickley, PA at 9:30 amNovember 10 Assembly 0123, Blithe Spirits (play), Beaver High School at 7:30 pmDecember 2 Assembly 0377, Holiday Party, Canons Chop House, Canonsburg, PA at 3:00 pmDecember 2 Assembly 0039, Christmas Party, Knights of Columbus Hall, Uniontown, PA at 2:00 pm

REGION 8 Assemblies 0004, 0070, 0160, 0432, 0595

October 14 Assembly 0432, Cuyahoga Valley Railroad at 12:30 pmOctober 17 Region 8, Semi-Annual Meeting, American Slovak Home, Lorain, OH at 7:30 pmDecember 18 Assembly 0432, Meeting/Election, Tony K’s at 7:30 pmDecember 31 Assembly 0432, New Year’s Eve Party, Bill & Sue Shuttleworth’sFebruary 17, 2019 Assembly 0432, Tobogganing, Strongsville Chalet 6:00 - 9:00 pmMay 25, 2019 Assembly 0432, Weekend Camping, Rustic Lake

REGION 14 Assemblies RO59, L102

October 7 Assembly R059, Meeting, Slivka’s residence, Bethlehem, PA at 3:00 pmOctober 26 Assembly L102, Kids Halloween Party, Drew & Sharon Wesnak’s, Whitehall, PA at 6:00October 28 Assembly R059, Hot Dog/Coffee Hour, St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church at 3:00 pmOctober - November 7 Assembly L102, Cardinal Tomco Chapter bake sale, call Marge Ferri at 610-866-8945

REGION 15 Assemblies L002, 0028

No activities at tis time

AT LARGE Assemblies R019, L040, 0110, 0236, 0267, 0381, 0554, 0568, 0586, 0705, 0731, 0800, 0813

October 7 Assembly 0586, Collect for our Troops activity, Hackney’s, Palos HillsOctober 14 Assembly R019, Fundraiser/Ham Dinner, SS Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, Buffalo, NY October 21 Assembly 0705, Meeting, Buck’s residence, Seelyville, IN at 1:00 pmNovember 3 Assembly 0731, Fall Fun Get Together, Lowellville, OHNovember 4 Assembly 0554, Meeting, Jim Stricek’s residence, DuBois, PA (TBA)November 10 Assembly 0381, Meeting, Mom’s at 12:00 pmDecember 1 Assembly 0731, Christmas Party, Stambaugh Room, Boardman, OH at 1:00 pmDecember 2 Assembly 0586, Christmas Activity/Meeting at 2:00 pm, place TBADecember 24 Assembly 0705, Annual Christmas Eve Celebration, 6:00 pm (Fraternal Fund Activity)

Activities At A Glance

3

Notice: The deadline for the Photo Contest has been extended to October 15, 2018.

From The President’s Desk…

David G. Blazek, FICPresident, CEO

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E

Greetings from the Desk of the Presi-dent. Now that summer is officially over,fall is with us and all our young mem-bers are back in school. I see moremeetings of our assemblies and regionsscheduled over the next couple ofmonths. This time of year is probably themost beautiful season in the Tri-StatePittsburgh area with the changing of theleaves. For those that have yards thatneed taken care of, you are nearing theend of grass cutting, weed pulling andshrub trimming until next spring. This month there are numerous state

fraternal alliance meetings at which wewill be represented by our officers andboard members. Ohio, New Jersey/NewYork, and Pennsylvania all conduct theirannual meetings in October. These meet-ings are educational for our Board mem-bers and provide a learning experiencethrough brainstorming, with the leader-ship of other fraternals. October brings with it Columbus Day

and Canadian Thanksgiving Day on the8th of the month and Halloween is onthe 31st of the month.

News Of NarodniarsCelebrating Birthdays this month are

Honorary Officer Dean Burns, HonoraryDirector Tony Beno, Irene Tomaskovic,Bob Kapp, George Batyko, JoAnna Lloyd,Cathy Fox, Carson Bernardo, Home Of-fice staff members Joe Elliott and RickToth and daughter Nicole Kearney.Happy Anniversary wishes to Barb and

Tod Wilcock, Susan and Paul Payerchin,Carole and Ed Koches, and Melinda andKeith Chojnicki. Best wishes to all othermembers celebrating a special occasionthis month.

4

Our prayers and thoughts go out to ourAdministrative Assistant Pam Blum andher entire family on the passing of hermother, Doris Dudt. May God surround youwith his love and comfort as you gothrough this difficult time.Best wishes for a speedy recovery go out

to Mary Lou Chojnicki who recently under-went open heart surgery and also to DanKralik and Bernie Vukelich who is recover-ing from shoulder surgery.And last but not least, congratulations

to Ashley and Brett Bernardo on the birthof their daughter Caroline, who was bornAugust 16th. Caroline is the 4th grand-child of Chairman of the Board Joe Stefkaand his wife Annette.

Five Undeniable Facts OfLife1. Don’t educate your children to be

rich. Educate them to be happy, so whenthey grow up, they will know the value ofthings not the price.2. Eat your food as your medicine. Oth-

erwise you have to eat medicines as yourfood.3. The one who loves you will never

leave you, because even if there are 100reasons to give up, he or she will find onereason to hold on.4. There is a big difference between a

human being and being human. Only a few really understand it.5. You are loved when you are born.

You will be loved when you die. In between,you have to manage! If you want to walkfast, walk alone! But if you want to walkfar, walk together!

Six Best Doctors In TheWorld1. Sunlight2. Rest3. Exercise4. Diet5. Self Confidence6. Friend

Punography Of The Month:When cannibals ate a missionary, theygot a taste of religion.

SCHOLARSHIP FORSENIOR MEMBERSA Fraternal Program

PURPOSE ~To encourage our older members tocontinue their education and to makefuller use of their leisure time.

MEMBER ELIGIBILITY ~Any life insurance or annuity member,fifty-five (55) years or older, who hasenrolled and successfully completed acontinuing education or adult educationcourse. Members may submit up to two(2) applications in one calendar year.

COURSE ELIGIBILITY ~Vocational schools, community collegesand universities offer a variety of short-term courses which may include areaslike computer training, cake decorating,photography, landscaping, small enginerepair, ballroom dancing, etc. This pro-gram does not cover courses that assistyou to maintain your current full orpart-time job. (Example: We will not reimburse life in-surance or real estate agents who takecontinuing education credits to main-tain their licenses.)

PROCEDURE ~Members should enroll and pay for thecourse of their choice. Once the mem-ber has finished the class, they mustsubmit an application, along with verifi-cation that the class was successfullycompleted, to the Home Office for approval by a National Officer. If thescholarship application is approved,the NSS will reimburse one-half (1/2)of the tuition for the course up to, butnot to exceed, one hundred dollars.

INFORMATION & APPLICATION ~For an application or additional infor-mation on this NSS Scholarship forSeniors Fraternal Program, contactPam Blum at [email protected] or callthe office at 724-731-0094, ext.1010. The National Officers are thesole authority in any decisions regard-ing this scholarship program. Their de-cision is final in all cases.

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A Page From My Notebook...Linda M. Strom, Secretary/TreasurerEmail: [email protected]

5

Pretend That You AreLiving in the Year 1918“One hundred years ago.”

� The average life expectancy for menwas 47 years.

� Fuel for cars was sold in drug storesonly.

� Only 14 percent of the homes had abathtub.

� Only 8 percent of the homes had atelephone.

� The maximum speed limit in mostcities was 10 mph.

� The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.

� The average US wage in 1910 was22 cents per hour.

� The average US worker madebetween $200 and $400 per year.

� A competent accountant couldexpect to earn $2000 per year.

� A dentist, $2500 per year.� A veterinarian between $1500 and

$4000 per year.� A mechanical engineer about

$5000 per year.� More than 95 percent of all births

took place at home.� Sugar cost four cents a pound. � Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.� Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

� The five leading causes ofdeath were: 1. Pneumonia and Influenza; 2. Tuberculosis; 3. Diarrhea; 4. Heart Disease; and 5. Stroke

� The American Flag had 45 Stars.� The population of Las Vegas,

Nevada was only 30.� Crossword puzzles, canned beer,

and iced tea hadn’t been invented yet.

� There was neither a Mother’s Daynor a Father’s Day.

� Two out of every 10 adults couldn’tread or write.

� And, only 6 percent of allAmericans had graduated fromhigh school.

And likewise, for the NSS� There were 9,759 Youth Members� Adult Members totaled 41,983� The society was engaged in

combating an epidemic of Spanish Fever which claimed the lives of 522 members.

� May 30, 1918 saw the completion of the “Pittsburgh Agreement (Pact)” which declared that Slovakia would have its own administration, parliament, and school system independent from Czechoslovakia.

Slovak Heritage ProgramsThe programs are held on the first Monday evening of each month, starting at

7:00 pm at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shannon Boulevard, Mt.Lebanon, Pa 15228. 412-531-1912. It is free to both members and non-members.

October 1, 2018 - “Slovak Genealogy” - Lisa Alzo, an expert in Slovak Genealogy,will show you some time saving tips on researching your Slovak ancestors.

November 5, 2018 - “You Shall Leave Your Mother and Father” - Fr. Peter Haladej,pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in East Liverpool, Ohio will explore the complexity oftransitions in religion, culture and life when moving from Slovakia to the U.S.

December 3, 2018 - “Show - N- Tell” Because of the popularity of this program inprior years, we are again asking you to bring your memorabilia from Slovakia -photos, books, souvenirs, etc. This is an opportunity for everyone to participate.

Halloween NightWhen days grow short and nights get coldAnd autumn trees turn red and gold,Move, we may, through sun drenched days'Midst leaves and berries and bales of hay.In our hearts we feel the lureToward darkness, shivers, and thingsnot pure,While ghostly shadows creep slowly by,Spying on witches and brooms that fly.Icy fingers that grab their preyAnd do bad things 'til night turns to day.Heed this plea to stay inside.Find covers and blankets and sheets to hide.Slowly this night will fade to dayAnd fiends and monsters will crawl away.Once a year, on this dank night,We'll shake and shiver 'til morning light.

�

RemindersRequired Minimum DistributionsIn order to ensure that Required Mini-

mum Distribution(s) are processed in atimely manner we ask that all RMD re-quests be submitted to the Home Office byno later than December 1, 2018.

BeneficiariesIt’s important that your beneficiaries

on file are up-to-date and reflect those ofyour choosing. Life events sometimescause us to have to update our benefici-ary records on file so just as a reminder,please let us know of any changes youwish to make. Log on to the web portal toview your current beneficiaries, or, if youdon’t have online access, we can provideyou with that information by calling theHome Office.

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E6

Jun 2018 Dec 2017 Jun 2018 Dec 2017

Net Admitted Assets: Summary of Operations:Bonds $1,134,010,046 $1,088,694,577 INCOME:Preferred Stocks Premium & Annuity Considerations $74,350,945 $150,814,114Common Stocks 1,523,235 1,730,363 Net Investment Income 26,464,284 49,226,217Mortgage Loans on Real Est 6,387,282 6,125,112 Amortization of Interest Certificate Loans 914,582 818,069 Maintenance Reserve 239,869 606,572Real Est Occupied by Society 691,641 702,319 Income Sub-Total $101,055,098 $200,646,903Cash on Deposit 11,884,194 15,967,814Electronic Data Equipment EXPENSES:Uncollected Premiums 199,427 168,063 Death Benefits $3,078,020 $5,414,182Investment Income Due 13,659,699 12,953,285 Matured Endowments 9,730 27,264TOTALS $1,169,270,106 $1,127,159,602 Annuity Benefits 51,877,320 89,490,907

Disability Benefits 5,571 4,074Liabilities & Unassigned Funds Surrender Benefits 237,175 785,066Aggregate Reserve $1,037,848,000 $1,001,227,000 Interest On Deposit Type Contr 1,241 7,856Deposit-type Contracts 61,260,536 60,415,042 Increase In Aggregate Reserve Certificate Claims 300,000 250,000 for Life Contracts 36,621,000 87,344,000Commissions Due 75,000 265,000 Commissions On Direct Business 1,865,999 4,180,466Refunds Due and Unpaid 465,000 465,000 General & Fraternal Expenses 2,505,241 4,654,343General Exp Due 2,005,500 1,964,000 Insur, Taxes, Licenses, Fees 121,008 184,388Retained by Society as Trustee 238,300 84,431 Expense Sub-Total $96,322,305 $192,092,546Asset Valuation Resv (AVR) 7,156,000 6,678,000Interest Maintenance Resv (IMR) 5,312,099 5,185,212 SUMMARY:Contingency Reserve 150,000 150,000 Net Gain From Operations Unassigned Funds 54,459,671 50,475,917 Before Refunds To Members $4,732,793 $8,554,357TOTALS $1,169,270,106 $1,127,159,602 Refund To Members (230,529) (453,909)

Net Gain From Operations Surplus Account: After Refunds To Members 4,502,264 8,100,448Beginning Surplus $50,625,917 $43,563,074 Net Realized Capital Gains (48,462) (89,313)Net Income 4,453,802 8,011,135 TOTAL NET INCOME $4,453,802 $8,011,135Change in Net Unrealized Capital Gains or (Losses) 7,952 191,914Change in Nonadmitted Assets (5,706)Change in Valuation Reserve (478,000) (1,134,500)Aggregate Write-ins for Gains and Losses in Surplus Linda M StromNet Change in Surplus 3,983,754 7,062,843 Secretary/Treasurer,CFOSurplus At Statement Date $54,609,671 $50,625,917

2018 2nd Quarter Financial Statement Recap statement as of June 30, 2018

7w w w. n s s l i f e . o r g | N AT I O N A L N E W S

My mother was my best friend. She was my mentor and my companion. Despite the 400 miles between my school and hometown, we remained close and spoke every day about my new experiences as a first-year college student.

Then came the morning of Parent’s Weekend. I was excited to hear that my mom was arriving, but instead I received a call from a state patrol o cer. My mom had a heart attack in the car and had been rushed to the university’s hospital. Later that evening I held my mother’s hand as she took her last breath.

The months that followed have been the hardest of my life. In addition to the extreme emotional, intellectual

and physical turmoil that comes with the loss of a parent, I was caught in a very di cult financial situation. My mom didn’t have any life insurance, so the financial burden of her death fell onto the shoulders of my brothers and me.

I was forced to move out of my college dorm room and get a job that o�ers housing and a meal plan, as well as a job serving tables to pay for school expenses and bills. I work 50+ hours a week while attending school full time. Now I worry whether I’ll be able to a�ord school next year.

The experience has taught me a valuable lesson. While we could never prepare for the profound emotional pain of losing a parent, we could have been better prepared for the financial burden. Life insurance would have eased the transition of life without my mother by taking the financial weight o� of our shoulders.

Topher Otake received a Life Lessons Scholarship from

Life Happens, which assists students who are struggling

financially to get an education due to a parent dying with

little or no life insurance.

This piece has been reproduced with the permission of Life Happens, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers make smart insurance decisions to safeguard their families’ financial futures. Life Happens does not endorse any insurance company, product or advisor. © Life Happens 2015. All rights reserved.

“ My mom didn’t have

any life insurance, so

the financial burden

of her death fell onto

the shoulders of my

brothers and me.”

A Valuable Lesson I Learned by Topher Otake

Life Lessons®

in their own words

To start your own planning, go to www.lifehappens.org/LI

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E8

You can add money to almost any

Annuity with NSS-just send us a check.

Any additional funds will not increase

the time period on early withdrawal

penalties.

Current Interest RatesEffective since July 1, 2018

Preferred Choice 1.00%Optimum 3 2.00%Preferred 5 3.25%Preferred 8 3.75%

*Preferred 7 and Flex earning 4%, these plans are no longer available.Please contact your NSS Life financial service representative or

Joe Elliott in the Home Office at 1-800-488-1890.

Access your account values 24/7by going to the

website: www.nsslife.org and login/register as a member.

�

Did you know....

Facts About LifeInteresting Life Insurance Statistics

• Top two reasons why Americans own life insurance: • Burial and final expenses (91%). • Help replace lost income of main wage earner (66%). • 50 million households recognize they need more life insurance. • One in five Americans with life insurance say they don’t have enough coverage. • 40% of Americans don’t know their coverage needs or what to buy, Millennials in particular (60%).

Source: Facts About Life, September 2018, LIMRA.

�

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From the Sales Department...Greg Felton, CLU, ChFC, Sales DirectorEmail: [email protected]

Thought for the MonthThe past cannot be changed. The future is still in your control.

Slovak proverb

Life Insurance Can Be

AffordableSometimes on the TV or radio there

are ads for life insurance. These usu-ally involve smaller amounts of insur-ance for seniors or large amounts ofinsurance for young people. Basicallythere are two types of life insurance:permanent and term. Permanent plansinclude whole life and single premium.Term plans would be our youth term,ten, or twenty year term.A recent survey showed that many

people need more life insurance butthey don’t have it because they thinkit is too expensive. So here is a quicklittle chart to put that misnomer torest. Here are the monthly rates for a$100,000 of ten year term insurancefor both male and female, non-tobaccousers.

$100,000 ten year term plan

Male Female

25 $ 9.18 $ 8.28

35 $10.53 $ 9.63

45 $18.00 $14.76

55 $33.30 $22.32

Clearly these rates show an affordable plan of insurance at any age. So if some-thing happened to you – your family would have some peace of mind in knowingthat the life insurance proceeds could be used to pay bills or current expenses.The proceeds could also be used to generate about $1,000 a month in incomefor the next ten years? We would be happy to work with you to make this figurefit your situation. So what’s holding you back? Call your local NSS representative or Joe Elliott

in the Home Office for more information.

Aretha Franklin and Your Estate PlanAretha Franklin recently passed away. Her estate has been estimated around

$80 million and she died without a will or trust. She has four sons and a niecewho have come forward to lay claim to her estate. Of course they will be next inline after the federal government and the state of Michigan take their share. The estate tax from the federal government is at least $32 million. What herheirs will ultimately receive is anyone’s guess since there will be delays andadded costs. Fortunately or unfortunately, most of us will not have this kind of financial

problem to worry about upon our demise. However, that does not mean thatproper steps should not be taken regardless the size of your estate. It is eachperson’s duty to minimize taxes, preserve assets, and enhance the value of yourloved one’s inheritance. At a minimum a person should at least have a will, adurable power of attorney and a health care directive. A trust would be the nextlogical step in the planning process. A trust gives you privacy and control. Next,it would be a good idea to review all beneficiaries. Make sure you have everyonelisted that should be listed. Sometimes well-meaning parents leave off the lastchild born because all of the paperwork was done prior to that one’s birth. Ornames are not updated to reflect marriage and divorce. What about planning forthe blended family. So many people get married again and each spouse haschildren from a previous marriage. How will they be treated – equitably or ig-nored? Again this is another planning point that could and should be addressed.Finally no discussion about estate planning would be complete without touch-

ing upon life insurance. This unique financial product allows people to buy anyamount of protection for pennies on a dollar. For estate planning purposes it isalways better to use a permanent plan of insurance such as whole life since ithas no expiration and should be inforce regardless of age. In addition to usinglife insurance for liquidity in your estate it can also be used for the followingand much more:

• Funeral costs (average $8,500)

• Pay taxes (estate, federal, state, local, income, and others)

• Medical expenses especially those associated with a last illness

• Current bills or loans

• Pay college expenses

• Leaving a legacy, retirement planning, business opportunities and more

In its simplest terms when you buy life insurance – you are ordering a box ofmoney to be delivered to your family someday. Think about that thought for aminute. Then let us know how much you would like to order? Contact your localNSS representative or Joe Elliott in the home office for more information or afree quote.

10 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E

ASSEMBLY 039Uniontown, PATwenty members came out to our

September dinner/meeting to commemo-rate the events of 9/11, especially re-membering those that died on Flight 93that came down in a field nearShanksville, PA. Delegates to the NSSQuadrennial Convention gave a report oftheir impressions of the convention.Members of the “Suffers Club” joinedthe meeting to prepare the mailing forour annual Christmas Party.Adults, the deadline for the “NSS

Christmas Ornament Contest”, is Decem-ber 1st. Your participation earns our as-sembly points in the “NSS AssemblyGrowth Program”. In 2017, we became a“Diamond” designated assembly becauseof the participation of our members. Weare trying to do the same in 2018.Seniors. Any member fifty-five years,

or older is eligible to enroll in the NSSSenior Scholarship Program. The purposeof the program is to encourage seniors toenroll in continuing education classes atvocational schools, community collegesor universities. The NSS will reimbursethe one-half the tuition costs up to$100.00. Contact Pam Blum at 724-731-0094, ext. 1010 for more informa-tion or an application.Mark your calendars! Our Annual

Christmas Party will be held on Sunday,December 2nd at 2:00 pm in the socialhall of the Knights of Columbus facilityin Uniontown. We will be giving away a40” HDTV along with a “Chinese Auc-tion” to raise funds for the PVR Scholar-ship Program. Dinner if FREE for allmembers and their guests.Watch out for those little ones “trick

n‘ treating” for Halloween.John Payerchin

President

ASSEMBLY L075Duryea, PAMark your calendars for our future meetings:October 14 - Assembly meeting at

Grande's Restaurant, Moosic, PA at 1 pm.November 18 - Wilkes Barre VA Bingo

Pizza party at 2:00 pm, 2nd floor recre-ation room.

Lehrae Ann EdwardsSecretary

ASSEMBLY RO59Bethlehem, PASummer is now well underway! Mem-

bers continue to be involved in churchprojects/functions, and visiting familyand friends!The remainder of our schedule is:

October 7 - Meeting at Michael andFrancine Slivka’s residence, 1741Greenleaf Street, Bethlehem, PA. at3:00 pm.October 28 - Hotdog/Coffee Hour

Social at St. Nicholas Russian OrthodoxChurch, 980 Bridle Path Road, Bethle-hem, PA. following Divine Liturgy(approximately at 11:15). Proceeds willgo to the Allentown Rescue Mission.

Michele GuydanSecretary

�

ASSEMBLY RO19Buffalo, NYWe are holding a fundraiser to benefit

SS. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, 44Benzinger St., Buffalo, NY on Sunday,October 14, 2018. There will be a hamdinner as well as a raffle for a basket ofcheer. All are welcome to attend. Any questions can be directed to

Linda Mucyn at (716) 912-6343, eitherby voice mail or text.

Linda MucynPresident

ASSEMBLY 123Coraopolis, PAWell last month I was so wrong in

hoping the rainy summer was over. Itjust continued and continued. What dothey say as winter approaches “thankgoodness it wasn’t snow”. If any of ourmembers have suffered flooding prob-lems let me know, the assembly may beable to offer a little relief.I want to congratulate the PVR schol-

arship recipients from our assembly;Joseph Bastaroli, Noah Brosovic, Madalynn Eger, Andrew Jeffrey, MariahJeffrey, Michael Kanavy, Richard Novak,Theresa Novak, Ashley Robbins, andDakota Volzer. We wish you all the bestand much success. It was heartening toreceive thank you cards from several of

you. I’m sure the others will also sendthem once they get a gentle reminderfrom their mothers.It is hoped that many of you will come

to the assembly outing at the PittsburghNational Aviary Sunday October 21st at1:00 pm. The general admission ticketwill be paid for by the assembly. TheAviary is located at 700 Arch St. onPittsburgh’s North Side. There are twohundred species and six hundred animalsto be seen. Besides exotic birds, some ofwhich will talk to you, there are penguins,butterflies, and a sloth. This is a mostinteresting and unique place and it isright here in your back yard. It would benice to see you there and bring a friend,a camera and hats are a must. If youplan on attending please call MaryManiecki at 412-2264-3546.Once again we are scheduling a

volunteer service project at the World Vision Warehouse in Sewickley. It will beSaturday, November 3rd at 9:30 am. Thiswill be two hours of very easy sorting ofclothes. Afterwards we will have lunch atEat’n Park compliments of the assembly.It would be so nice of you who enjoy tak-ing part in our activities to joins us for alittle volunteer work. This work at theWorld Vision is ideal for students whoneed to get hours of community service.Also in November the assembly will

be going to see the play Blithe Spirits, acomedy by Noel Coward at Beaver HighSchool performed by the Bobcat Players.This will be Saturday, November 10th.The play starts at 7:30 pm. Maybe youcan do two Saturdays in a row, November3rd at World Vision and November 10thwith a play. Give Mary Maniecki a call tolet her know you are attending.October 8th is Columbus Day so

salute to our Italian members. It is alsoThanksgiving Day in Canada.October 9th is Leif Erikson Day so we

salute all our Scandinavian members.October 31st is naturally Halloween

and by the way I see so many placesdecorated you would think it is a nationalholiday. Enjoy it if you are a kid or justyoung at heart.Birthday and Anniversary wishes to all

members celebrating this month, mayyou be blessed. Go Pens!

Bill KnollPresident

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Youth Circle Magazine-Fall 2018

Halloween JokesQ: What did the witch do when herbroomstick broke?A: She witch-hiked!

Q: How did the yellow wizards go in theQuidditch competition?A: They swept the other teams away!

Q: What has six legs and sits on abroomstick?A: A witch with her cat!

Q: Why did the wizard fly the broom-stick over the mountain?A: Because he couldn’t go under it!

Q: Why did the kids give all their candyto the witch?A: She had a big broom stick!

Q: What does a red neck do when theysee a witch flying on a broomstick?A: They shout “fire!”

Q: What do witches ring for in a hotel?A: B-room service!

Q: How do you picture yourself flyingon a broom stick?A: By witchful thinking!

Q: How does a witch ask a wizard totake a ride on her broomstick?A: Voodoo like to ride with me?

Q: Why don’t witches buy broomsticksfrom Australia?A: They always broomerang back therethe first chance they get!

Q: What do you call a witch that flies ina jet?A: A broomless witch!

Halloween

Autumn Ghoul PirateBat Goblin PranksBlack Cat Goodies PumpkinBlood Graves ScarecrowBrew Hag ScaryBroom Haunted House SkeletonCandy Hay SpooksCarnival Jack O Lantern TombstonesCemetery Mask Trick Or TreatCostume Monster VampireFun Party witchGhost

Did you know in Slovakia Halloween isn’t celebrated at all. On November 1st they celebrate All Saint’s Day, like in Poland.

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E12

Q: I’m tall when I’m young and I’m shortwhen I’m old. What am I?A: A candle.

Q: In a one-story pink house, there was apink person, a pink cat, a pink fish, apink computer, a pink chair, a pink table,a pink telephone, a pink shower – every-thing was pink! What color were thestairs?A: There weren’t any stairs, it was a one-story house.

Q: Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?A: Neither. They both weigh one pound.

Q: How many months have 28 days?A: All 12 months.

Q: What starts with the letter “T,” isfilled with “T,” and ends in “T?”A: A teapot

Q: A girl is sitting in a house at night thathas no lights on at all. There is no lamp,no candle, nothing. Yet she is reading.How?A: The woman is blind, and she is read-ing Braille.

Q: How can you throw a ball as hard asyou can, to only have it come back toyou, even if it doesn’t bounce off any-thing?A: Throw the ball straight up in the air.

Q: My name is Ruger. I live on a farm.There are four other dogs on the farmwith me. Their names are Snowy, Flash,Speedy, and Brownie. What do you thinkthe fifth dog’s name is?A: Ruger.

Q: Imagine you’re in a room that is fillingwith water. There are no windows ordoors. How do you get out?A: Stop imagining.

Q: Using only addition, how do you addeight 8’s and get the number 1,000?A: 888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1000.

Q: I am an odd number. Take away oneletter and I become even. What numberam I?A: Seven (take away the “s” and it becomes “even”).

Brain TeasersStarts With the Letter AHow many words do you know that start with the letter A? You probably know a lot! Be sure to asksomeone if you need help reading the clues orspelling the answers.

New Slovak Phrases To LearnHappy Thanksgiving Šťastné Vďakyvzdanie Do you have enough money? Máte dosť peňazí?Long time no see Dlho sme sa nevideli Do you want to go for a drink sometime? Chcete niekedy nejaký drink Hi AhojWhat day are they coming over? V aký deň prichádzajú?Are you comfortable? Ste pohodlný?What are you going to do this weekend? Čo budeš robiť tento víkend? You have a very nice car Máte veľmi pekné auto Nice meeting you Tešilo maI'll teach you naučím ťaEnjoy your meal Dobrú chuťHere’s my number Tu je moje číslo Yoir daughter is so sweet Vaša dcéra je taká miláYour to kind Si veľmi láskaváAre you on Facebook? Si na Facebooku? We are having a family reunion Stretávame sa s rodinouSee you tonight Uvidíme sa večerWhat’s the address? Aká je adresa?


Milk Jug Halloween DecorationsSupplies you will need:4 litre milk jugsblack felt pen markerscissorsorange food colouring (to make pumpkins)tea lights or string lights (to make lighted ghost heads)white cloth or crepe paper (to make full body ghosts)

First make sure all your milk jugs are clean and the labelshave been removed. I run my milk jugs through the dishwasherwith my supper dishes and the labels come right off.One of the easiest decorations to make is pumpkins. All you

need to do is draw your pumpkin faces on the outside of yourmilk jug with black felt pen markers, fill up the milk jug withwater, add orange food colouring, put the lid back on, shakeand Voila! - you're done.

Milk jugs also make greatghost heads. You can draw your ghost face on thefront of the milk jug, either with the milk jug up or inverted, depending on what you're going to do with it, and then light it up in a number of different ways.If you have solar lights liningyour walk, all you need to do iscut the top off the milk jug

(large enough to fit over your lights) and invert it over eachsolar light. You'll have to remove them from the lights duringthe day so that they can recharge, but they will make an eerieglowing walkway of ghost heads at night.Another way to illuminate your ghost heads is to cut a small

hole at the bottom of the jug under the handle and place a bat-tery operated tealight on the floor of the jug. Real candles are not recommendedfor safety. If you have a string of clear Christmas lights, you can also push theminside your milk jug. This works good if you have a long string of lights and acouple of ghost heads that you are grouping together, say on the stairs.

You can also make a more elaborate ghost by invert-ing the the milk jug, and bunch up some white ma-terial or white crepe paper around the neck of themilk jug to make a body. Hang by the handle in atree or on a hook in your porch. If you use whitecrepe paper streamers tied around the neck andhanging down, they will dance with the slightestbreeze.

Make Me Laugh"Dad, why do you write so slow?"asked Dennis."I have to," replied his father."I'm a slow reader."

Teddy came thundering down thestairs, much to his father's annoy-ance.'Teddy,' he called, 'how many moretimes have I got to tell you to comedown the stairs quietly?Now, go back up and come down likea civilised human being.' There was asilence, and Teddy reappeared in thefront room.'That's better,' said his father.'Now will you always come downstairs like that?' 'Suits me,' saidTeddy.'I slid down the bannister.'

At dinner, Seth said to his father,"Dad, I got into trouble at schooltoday and it's all your fault." "How'sthat?" asked the master of the house."Remember I asked you how much$500,000 was?" "Yeah, I remember.""Well, 'a helluva lot' ain't the right an-swer."

The lifeguard told the mother tomake her young son stop urinating inthe pool."Everyone knows," the mother lec-tured him, "that from time to time,young children will urinate in a pool.""Oh really?" said the lifeguard, "fromthe diving board!?!?"

Once upon a time there were five ap-ples.Which was the cowboy?None - because they were all red-skins.

What do you get if you cross an applewith a shellfish?A crab apple !

What lives in apples and is an avidreader?A bookworm !

If it took six pigs two hours to eat theapples in the orchard, how manyhours would it take three pigs?None, because the six pigs have already eaten them all.

Have a safe Halloween and a Blessed Thanksgiving

Answers

Thankful Turkey BoxSupplies you will need:

empty small tissue boxbrown, red, orange and yellow paint

paint brushbrown cardstock paperwhite cardstock paper

glue stickclear packing tape

googly eyessmall piece of yellow and red paper

scissors

1. Start by painting an empty, small tissue box with brownacrylic paint.

2. For the feathers paint card stock paper red, orange andyellow. Then use the same paint tosplatter the different paint colorson each sheet of paper. Just makesure you do this step outside or

cover your table with newspaper because it getsmessy. Or you can use just colored card stock for the

feathers if you want.

3. After the paint on your tissue box is completely dry,cut out a bowling ball type of shape out of brown cardstock for the turkey head and body and glue it to thetissue box.

4. When yourpainted sheetsof cardstock are dry, trace a feather shapeon the back of them. Cut them all out.

5. Glue the feathers around the back ofthe tissue paper box and then use pack-aging tape to secure them at the back.

6. To finish the turkey, glue on somewiggly eyes, a beak made out of a diamond shape bent in half, and a red wattle.

Place a stack of thankful cards next toyour turkey, and every day or every cou-ple of days you and your family memberscan write what you are thankful for andplace it in the box.

Hope you have a month full of Thanks!!

Poke A Pumpkin Game

We’ve seen versions of this game but theyall involved popping balloons. And we allknow how loud and annoying balloon-pop-ping can be. Especially in a room filledwith excited kids, hopped-up on sugarand the excitement of Halloween. So weopted for a quieter version. We put prizesinside orange cups with napkins rubber-banded over the tops. Then we hot gluedthe cups to a piece of black foam core.The kids simply had to poke their fingerthrough the orange napkin on the cupsand pull out either a TRICK or a TREAT.Some of the tricks included: toothpaste,socks, and fake ketchup & mustard bot-tles. Some of the treats included: candy,inflatable Halloween decorations, andtoys.

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ASSEMBLY 377Bentleyville, PAJoin us for our future events:October 28- Halloween party at

Toscana Brick Oven, 1800 MainStreet, Canonsburg, PA at 3:00 pm.Costumes optional. December 2- Holiday party at

Canons Chop House, 1900 MainStreet Canonsburg, PA at 3:00 pm.We would also like all members tobring a dozen of cookies to share witheveryone.

Suzanne SkrypakPresident

ASSEMBLY 554Curwensville, PAA meeting will be held on November 4,

2018 at Jim Stricek’s, 135 McCulloughSt., Dubois, PA at 2:00 pm. Please contact Jim Stricek at 814-590-7021 or at [email protected] if you areattending this meeting.

Jim StricekSecretary

ASSEMBLY 381Grosse Ile, MIThere will be a meeting Saturday,

November 10, 2018 scheduled at Mom'sat 12 pm. RSVP Joanne T. Medved [email protected].

Joanne MedvedTreasurer

ASSEMBLY 705Seelyville, INPlease mark your calendars for future

events in 2018: October 21- 1:00 pm at the Buck

home Seelyville, INDecember 24 - 6:00 pm Annual

Christmas Eve Celebration(Fraternal Fund Activity)

Dorothy BuckSecretary

REGION 5Pittsburgh, PAThe fall meeting of Region #5 will be

held on Sunday, October 14, 2018, at 1:00pm at the NSS Home Office in McMurray,PA. A Convention recap as well as plans forRegion #5 activities for the remainder of2018 will be discussed. All assemblies inRegion #5 are requested to send represen-tatives to the meeting. A luncheon will beserved following the meeting.

Joseph Stefka, Jr.President-Region 5

ASSEMBLY 586Chicago, ILA meeting will be held on October 7,

2018 at Hackney’s, Palos Hills for a Col-lect for Our Troops activity.We’ve also set aside December 2, 2018

for our annual Christmas meeting andactivity at 2:00 pm.

Janet TomaskovicSecretary

ASSEMBLY 731Lowellville, OHDon’t forget about our Christmas Party

on Saturday, December 1st at the Stam-baugh Room, Boardman Park, 375Boardman-Poland Road, Boardman, OHfrom 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Laurie FoxSecretary

ASSEMBLY 737Westmoreland County, PAA meeting will be held on October 6,

2018 at the home of Carol Godor, 9280Clubview Drive, North Huntingdon, PA at1:00 pm. A date for our Christmas meet-ing will be set at that time.

Carol GodorTreasurer

ASSEMBLY 432Fairview Park, OHOur assembly will be going to the

Cuyahoga Valley Railroad on October 14,2018. We will meet at Rockside Depotat 12:30 pm and the cost is $10 perperson. Children 3 & Under are FREE!RSVP By 10/7/18 as tickets need to bepurchased in advance. I hope to see youall there, as this is a new event, and ifenough people do not respond, we willhave to find another event next year.RSVP to Tony Beno - 216-226-7501,Bill Shuttleworth - 440-331-6997 orDave Pytel 440-777-4054.Mark your calendars for the following

events:12/18/2018 - Meeting and Election of

Officers to be held at Tony K's at 7:30pm.12/31/2018 - New Year's Eve Bash!

Join us for Cheer in the New Year! Wewill be bringing in 2019 at the home ofBill and Sue Shuttleworth. 2/17/2019 - Toboganning at the

Strongsville Chalet from 6pm-9pm.5/25/2019 - Camping at Rustic Lake

for the weekend. Come for the day, orstay the entire weekend.

Shawn PytelPublicist

REGION 2Hazleton, PAMatching FundsOur Region will sponsor an event to

raise money for the SPCA of LuzerneCounty. The event “Bone Appetit” will takeplace on November 4, 2018 from 4:00 to7:00 pm at the Woodlands Inn and ResortPA-315 Wilkes Barre, PA. Cost is $45 aperson or $75 couple or $350 to reserve atable for 8 people. This event highlightsfabulous food from local restaurants andwineries throughout our community andlive music. Please come out and help ussupport this “Purr-fect” event. Also in sup-port of the function Assembly L075 will besponsoring a table. The SPCA will placeour Name and Logo at the event and in itsvideo presentation.For tickets you may contact Marlin Petro

Wesnak via email at:[email protected]. Deadline isOctober 14, 2018.

Marlin Petro-WesnakPresident-Region 2

REGION 8Cleveland, OHThe semi-annual meeting of Region #8

will be hosted by Assembly #160 (Lorain,Ohio) on October 17, 2018 at the AmericanSlovak Home, 2915 Broadway, Lorain,Ohio at 7:30 pm.Plans for upcoming events for 2019 will

be discussed. Hope to see all assembliesfrom our region at this meeting.

Carole KochesSecretary-Region 8

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Fraternal Matters...By: Pam BlumFraternal Activities CoordinatorEmail: [email protected]

Personal Note of ThanksI would like to thank my NSS family

and friends for their care, understandingand kind words and prayers after the re-cent passing of my Mom, Doris Dudt.Mom had a wonderful life and we wereso fortunate to have her for so long, shewas 93 years young. She will be dearlymissed.

Trick or TreatNSS has a supply of Halloween Trick

or Treat bags available. If your Assemblyor organization is having a HalloweenParty, and would like some bags for theghosts and goblins to collect their good-ies, just give me a call or email me [email protected].

Think Pink - The Best Protection is Early Detection!!The fight against breast cancer takes place every day. National Breast Cancer

Awareness Month, in October, is an opportune time to renew your commitment toraise awareness, honor and support patients, survivors and their families, and fur-ther the efforts of caregivers and researchers dedicated to treating and curing thisdisease.All women can get breast cancer – even those with no family history of the dis-

ease. Learn about breast cancer and take control of your health by following theAmerican Cancer Society’s breast cancer screening guidelines:

� Age 40 and over: Mammogram and clinical breast exam yearly

� Age 20’s and 30’s: Clinical breast exam about every 3 years

� Starting in 20’s: Choose whether or how often to do breast self-exam.

If you think you are at a higher risk for Breast cancer, talk with your doctor about your history and what options are right for you.

Photo Contest Deadline ExtendedWe have extended the deadline for the Photo Contest to October 15th. Be sure to

use this extra time to get your entry in.

Ornament ContestAs I write this article (in September) I can NOT believe I’m addressing the

Christmas Ornament Contest. I am one of those people that Christmas tends tosneak up on every year. So, with that being said, we’re giving you plenty of time toget your “crafty” on and submit an ornament. Rules about the contest can befound elsewhere in this publication. (Note – Please only submit original handmadeornaments not ones made from “kits”.)

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Region 5 Picnic A SuccessRegion #5 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, held its annual picnic

on Sunday, August 19, 2018, at Cedar Creek Park in Belle Ver-non, Pennsylvania. The event was attended by 60 members fromthe assemblies located within Region #5 and guests. In addition,Paul and Sue Wesnak from Assembly L102 were in the Pittsburgharea attending the Pittsburgh Steelers Fan Fest and stopped by totake part in the picnic. The event was held at the Activity Centerin Cedar Creek Park adjacent to the Youghiogheny River. Theweather was beautiful and the picnic was enjoyed by all in atten-dance. Joseph Stefka, Jr., President of Region #5 welcomed every-one to the picnic and introduced the Region #5 Officers presentalong with the National Officers and Directors. Invocation was pro-vided by Annette Stefka. Region #5 auditor Carol Godor cele-brated her birthday on the day of the picnic and was presentedwith a birthday cake followed by the singing of Happy Birthday byall in attendance. A catered picnic style meal followed with plentyof delicious desserts provided by the members. Janine Hannan provided a variety of games for the children in

attendance. The children were excited to play the games and wereawarded prizes for their efforts. Assembly 737 provided severalbaskets for a “Slovak Auction” which was held following the meal.The proceeds from the sale of tickets for the auction raised $350which benefitted the PVR Scholarship and the NSS Heritage Mu-seum. Region #5 Secretary and National Secretary-TreasurerLinda Strom called Bingo games to conclude the festivities of theday. Director Sue Ondrejco reminded everyone in attendance thatSeptemberfest would be held on September 22nd at the HomeOffice.

2018 Butwin Family Reunion

A fraternal activity for Assembly 705, the Butwin FamilyReunion, was held in Seelyville, IN on June 30/July 1,2018. Over 130 descendants of John & Anna Butwinjoined to celebrate family togetherness and their Slovakheritage. A theme of the reunion was looking back to ourSlovak ancestors as Mary Ellen Buck conducted a searchthat found several generations back in Slovakia. John &Anna Butwin started their family in 1907 in Pennsylvaniaand settled in Seelyville, Indiana in 1910. Their descen-dants met this year on the land that they settled andraised their family. Many activities made up the day longaffair. The family picture taken on the front porch of thefamily home (now the home of Mary Ellen & Dorothy Buck)got things started. The First Cousins, the grandchildren ofJohn & Anna Butwin, had a picture taken with towelsshowing what family they belonged to and where they wereborn in birth order. Twenty-Nine of the thirty-seven grand-children were in attendance. A corn hole tournament, eu-chre tournament, bocci matches, a Bounce House,slip-n-slide, water balloons, a fish pond with prizes, an egghunt and scavenger hunt, a photo booth and bingo werejust some of the activities throughout the day. Lunch &Dinner were served. A game show and video presentationwere the highlights of the evening. As a community serviceproject, everyone brought canned goods to the reunion.These were donated to a local Catholic Charities foodbank. On Sunday morning, a breakfast was served followedby clean-up and good byes. A successful Butwin FamilyReunion was over.

Dorothy BuckSecretary

Grandchildren of John & Anna Butwin, founding members ofAssembly 705

Food collected at the Butwin Family Reunion and donated toCatholic Charities food bank

1618 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E

Members of Assembly L075 Duryea, Pa held their fraternal summer picnicmeeting on August 12, 2018 at the Mercatelli-Segilia Park on Birney Ave. MoosicPa. An unexpected visit by National Director Drew Wesnak and Sharon was agreat surprise. Members brought food for the table and our chefs for the day were Director Bill Wesnak, President Gary Edwards, and Adam Lazar who cooked uphamburgers and hot dogs for the members. A basket raffle followed dinner whichwas a big hit and then bingo was enjoyed by all. The next meeting is set for October 14 at Grande's Restaurant, Birney Ave, Moosic at 1:00 pm. A bingopizza party for the veterans at the VA in Wilkes Barre will be held at 2:00 pm onthe 2nd floor rec room on Sunday, November 18. Parade of Baskets will takeplace in July, August and September and we donated a cooler and digital camerabasket. Members will assist at the ticket sales at the Luzerne County fair on Sat-urday, September 8th from 5:00 pm to closing. Shown are 1st row: Tommy, Dominic and Lucy Piccoletti-Vice President,

Patricia Gorgol, Gary and Dorothy Collins. 2nd Row: Matthew & Maxwell Edwards,Region 2 President Marlin Petro-Wesnak, Adam & Allie Lazar, Madison Petro andSecretary/Treasurer Lehrae Ann Edwards. 3rd row: Samantha Wesnak, Adam Edwards, President Gary Edwards, Karen Richardson and Stephanie Piccoletti.4th row: Sharon & Drew Wesnak, Director, and Debbie and Bill Wesnak-FraternalDirector.

Assembly L075 members partici-pated in the Geisinger Heart Walkaround the PNC Field on April 28 inMoosic,PA. Shown are members inattendance: Kneeling: Stephanie Piccoletti, our coordinator; JuliannaCiuccio, Secretary/Treasurer LehraeAnn Edwards. Standing: Michael Piccoletti, Laura Knecth, Dominic,Tommy and Lucy Piccoletti, Vice-President. Jo Ann Ciuccio, Region 2President Marlin Petro-Wesnak ,andJudy Bohn. Assembly coordinatorStephanie wants to get more people involved for next year's walk in April.

News From Assembly L075 and Region 2

NSS Assembly L075 membersparticipated in the Join Hands Day program with the US Postal Carriers for the Greater Pittston Meals on Wheelsin May at the Knights of Columbus Mealson Wheels Center in Pittston. Shown are:Adam Edwards, Adam Lazar, Dorothy &Gary Collins, Allie Lazar, President GaryEdwards, Karen Richardson and S/TLehrae Ann Edwards. Members assistedwith unloading the mail trucks of food,sorting them and checking on expirationdates for the center.

Region 2Attention all members of of Region 2

(Assembly L075 and 0614). We have afully functional web page on Facebookfor our Region Members. Find out whatevents and meetings are happening.Add some photos and family news. Anymember may join by request, justsearch for NSS Life Region 2 and I willgladly accept you.

Marlin Petro-WesnakPresident-Region 2

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Assembly 123 Golf Outing

Assembly 731

Once again, NSS membersenjoyed visiting the campsite ofMike & Laurie Fox at the CanfieldFair. It was an extremely hot week for the fair this year and wespent much time inside the airconditioned camper. But all visi-tors still enjoyed the excitementand fun provided by MahoningCounty’s Canfield Fair.

Assembly 731 is taking a break from their annual Halloween Hayride this year. Instead, we are planning an indoor Fall Fun Get Together onSaturday, November 3, 2018 at

the Lowellville Rod & Gun Club, 6225 Quarry Rd., Lowellville, OH. Fun activitieswill include games, dancing, refreshments, and a craft area where members canmake something for fall or work on a NSS Christmas ornament for the contest.Weather permitting, we will have outdoor activities. Also, we will have a basketraffle. Each family is asked to bring a filled basket, gift card, or a nice item toraffle. Proceeds from the raffle will help support a local “Blessings in a Back-pack” project. Reminder that our Christmas party this year will be held on Saturday, December

1, 2018, 1:00-3:00 pm, in Boardman Park’s Stambaugh Room, 375 Boardman-Poland Road, Boardman, Ohio. A 50-50 raffle will be held.At least one week prior to an event, please RSVP to Laurie Fox 330-536-8850

or email [email protected]

Youth members visit the Fox campsite at the Fair:Jack, Valerie, Cameron, Jessica, Ashlynn, Jimmy, Benand baby Logan in the window.

Assembly L102 Summer OutingAs you can see it was a great turnout

and a beautiful night to see the IronPigs play a double header.Also, the assembly will be having a

Halloween Party for the kids to go trick ntreating at Sharon and Drew Wesnak’shome on October 26th at 6:00 pm.

Angela DeSarro and daughtersLina and Ali

The Kamenar Family

Guests golfers from Assembly 161

Mary Maniecki, Bill Knolland Bill & Valerie DelMonaco

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E1620

PVR Scholarship FundDonationsIn Memory of Paul Braun:

From Assembly 0123 20.00In Memory of Edward Ekas:

From Assembly 0123 20.00In Memory of William Lavery:

From Assembly 0123 20.00In Memory of Shirley Petrucci:

From Assembly 0123 20.00In Memory of Eleanor Yoho:

From Assembly 0123 20.00In Honor & Memory of Living and

Deceased Members:From Cynthia Maleski, 100.00Pres. FCSLA

Donations:R.D. Hoag & Associates 2,000.00Anonymous 200.00Rosemary Rozycki-Frati 15.00Assembly 0731 100.00NSS 2018 Golf Outing 3,200.00Region 5 Picnic Basket Raffle 175.00Matching Funds for Region 5Basket Raffle 175.00

OUR DEPARTED MEMBERS August, 2018

Name City and State Date of Death AssemblyAdragna, Angelo Belle Vernon, PA 02/15/2013 0108

Amore, Rosemary Fenton, MI 06/21/2018 0381

Barnhart, Sandra Portage, PA 08/07/2018 0737

Berdar, Frank Uniontown, PA 07/16/2018 0039

Blair, Pauline Webster Springs, WV 07/13/2018 0774

Braun Jr., Thomas M Washington, PA 05/31/2018 0588

Brent, Sally Danville, PA 07/20/2018 0146

Broda, Julia Campbell, OH 06/27/2018 0731

Bukosky, Grace Wheeling, WV 07/29/2018 0108

Canut, Mary Louise Greensburg,PA 06/19/2018 0737

Conner, Hazel Oak Hill, WV 10/10/2017 0774

Copenhaver, James Summersville, WV 07/18/2018 0774

Corteal, Bernard Vanderbilt, PA 07/12/2018 0039

Detling, Kody Cape Coral, FL 08/07/2018 0595

Dudt, Doris Pittsburgh, PA 08/12/2018 0434

Enfield, Frederick Greensburg, PA 08/04/2018 0737

Harrington, Shauna Taylor, PA 07/05/2018 L075

Havrilla, Louis P Lenexa, KS 07/06/2018 0432

Hawkins, Darlene York, PA 04/15/2018 0267

Hesh, Donald Pittsburgh, PA 02/28/2018 0123

Israel, Dorothy Paw Paw, WV 04/29/2018 0774

Jarrett, James Garfield Charleston, WV 08/06/2018 0774

Johnson, Bernice McKeesport, PA 11/04/2017 0108

Kacprowski, Dolly Kittanning, PA 12/06/2017 0100

Kasey, John P South Charleston, WV 07/19/2018 0774

Keyser, Virginia Seminole, FL 06/02/2018 0813

Knouse, Karen McKees Rocks, PA 07/05/2018 L161

Kurutz, Michael Scranton, PA 08/06/2018 L075

Lebo, Roy Pittsburgh, PA 06/26/2018 L105

Lewis, Mary Louise Glen Ellyn, IL 07/21/2018 0586

Mac Williams, Mildred Philadelphia, PA 07/29/2018 0774

Mason, Virginia Peebles, OH 07/19/2018 0595

Mc Neil, Edward North Fork, WV 07/18/2018 0774

McWhorter, Donald McDonald, PA 08/11/2018 0123

Mergen, Mildred Jacksonville, FL 06/23/2018 0039

Miller, Antoinette C Pittsburgh, PA 07/03/2018 L161

Mizzer, Joseph G Shavertown, PA 07/19/2018 0617

Murrin, Lawrence South Park, PA 06/18/2018 0434

Myers, Barbara Jean Greenville. MI 06/22/2018 0381

Neidermyer, Helen Ephrata, PA 08/01/2018 L102

Nestvogel, Dieter Matthews, NC 06/18/2018 0774

Noll, Arlene Stouchsburg, PA 07/19/2018 L102

DONATE TO THE PVRSCHOLARSHIP FUNDHere are four good reasons why makinga donation makes sense...• Every penny donated goes directlyinto the PVR Scholarship Fund.• Your contribution will help our youngmembers achieve their academic goals.• Your donation may benefit your ownson, daughter, niece or nephew. • Every year, requests for grants in-crease, making more demands on thePVR Scholarship Fund.

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� YES, I want to help our young members attain their academic goals.Here is my donation of $ ________.

Name:

Assembly:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Please issue your check to: NSS PVR Scholarship Fund

And send to: National Slovak Society 351 Valley Brook Road McMurray, PA 15317

This Month in National Slovak Society HistoryJoseph Stefka, Jr. Chairman of the Board


Departed Members(Continued from page 20)

OUR DEPARTED MEMBERS August, 2018

Name City and State Date of Death AssemblyOravets, Mildred Smithfield, PA 07/11/2018 0588Peterman, Cecil Sault Sainte Marie, MI 07/29/2018 0381Pocchiari, Maria Butler, PA 10/21/2017 L161Rudwell, John Tallmadge, OH 04/17/2018 0004Rusnock, Regis E Greensburg, PA 03/31/2018 0039Scalamogna, Giuseppe Glenshaw, PA 07/03/2018 L161Scanlon, John A Bridgeville, PA 07/31/2018 0434Schaming, Gary Pittsburgh, PA 08/21/2018 0100Simpson, William F Brookeville, MD 09/05/2017 0731Smolley, Anthony J Hopwood, PA 07/18/2018 0039Tabone, Esther Burgettstown, PA 03/11/2017 0588Tipton, Donald Fort Myers Beach, FL 06/21/2018 0381Tomajko, Anna Macomb, MI 08/08/2018 0381Troll, Alexis Irwin, PA 05/23/2018 0737Wasielewski, Stanley Gibsonia, PA 07/27/2018 L161Westlake, Shirley Lititz, PA 07/12/2018 R059Wright, Twila Blairsville, PA 07/22/2018 L105Yeveinez, Kathryn Covington, LA 08/12/2018 0377Zale, Gerold Cottage Grove, WI 07/18/2018 0774Zamborsky, George Barrington, NH 08/09/2018 0434

October, 1978Former Supreme Secretary and Honorary Society Secretary Rudolph J. Pallan

died on October 10, 1978. Brother Pallan was born on December 19, 1892, inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was elected as Supreme Secretary of the Society atthe 17th Convention held in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, in 1937, was re-elected atthe next eight Conventions, and remained in the position until December 31,1974. Brother Pallan was named Honorary Secretary of the Society at the 26thConvention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in September, 1974.

October, 1988On October 9, 1988, Assembly 39 of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, held a gala

banquet to honor its members achieving at least 50 years of membership in the National Slovak Society. National President Joseph Stefka and National Secretary-Treasurer Paul J. Godor presented an NSS 50-year pin and a certificate to each of the members being honored for their National Slovak Society membership.

October, 2002National President David G. Blazek was named the recipient on the John Jor-

dan Upchurch Award by the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress at its annual meet-ing. The award is the highest fraternal honor that is given by the Congress fordistinguished leadership and service to the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress andthe fraternal benefit system.

Deadline For PublicationPlease be advised that all articles, notices, etc., MUST BE received by the Home Office no later than the 5thof the month. Every effort will be madeto publish the article and photos in atimely manner and space permitting.Also, all articles should be typewrittenin regular type.

L-R: Greg Felton, Sales Director;Dave Blazek, President; and

Jeff DeSantesA booth was set up at the MesserTop Producer Summit, Charlotte,North Carolina to dicuss NSS

products and benefits.

Letters of AppreciationWe have received many Thank You’s

from our PVR recipients in regards totheir scholarships. Below are just a fewof the names:��Sara Holden

Anne KoliciusJoe Bastaroli

Alexander DickopfEmily DickopfRyleigh TestaSara Getsy

Hannah DeanGregory GurcakKalsie WalkerMaddie Eger

We welcome any highlights duringyour college years, (internships, gradesor an activity you are partaking in) andwe will place it in our newsletter. GoodLuck in your college years.

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Youth Circle of National Slovak Society • 351 Valley Brook Road, McMurray, PA 15317

Youth Circle Page

Junior PittsburghSlovakians

We’d like you to become a part of ourperforming ensemble!

* Learn to sing, dance and/or play the violin.

* No experience necessary, we’ll show you! * Meet new friends

* Learn about your Slovak Heritage!* Perform at the Pittsburgh Folk Festival,Slovak Day, Slovak Heritage Festival at Pitt

as well as other events!

We are now accepting new members andwould like to invite you to come and findout what we are all about! For more infor-mation, call Sue Ondrejco at 412-421-1204or e-mail: [email protected]


2018 Christmas Ornament Contest - Deadline December 1st, 2018Now is the time to start thinking and making your Christmas Ornament. Get out your glue guns and glitter and

create a winning ornament today! The rules are as follows:1. The contest is open to all NSS members. In addition, we are inviting our Home Office Staff, and even our Board

Members to participate. 2. Entries should be no larger than 5" High; 5" Wide and 5" Deep. The base can be in any shape so long as it stays within

the above measurements. You can glue objects to make your ornament decorative (we encourage you to be creative!) Some examples are: glitter, ribbon, stars, cotton balls, etc... Please submit original handmade ornaments only. Ornaments made from kitswill be disqualified. 3. All entries must include your name, address, age, youth circle number or assembly number and phone number on a

separate sheet of paper. Youth members should also list their shirt size (Youth: YM, or Adult: AS, AM, AL, AXL). 4. All winners in each group will have their names appear in the "National News". In addition a picture of your ornament

will appear on the website. All entries will be distributed to a local nursing home to be placed on a Christmas Tree. You cansend in more than one ornament for distribution purposes--the more we have the prettier the tree will be! In the event yousend more than one, please note which ornament you would like to have entered into the contest to be judged.5. The contest shall be judged under the following categories and prize awards:

Our Youth Members Prize Awards Prize AwardsFrosty’s Group - Ages 5, 6, & 7 First Place - $25.00 First Place $50.00Rudolph's Group - Ages 8, 9 and 10 First Place - $25.00 Our Adult Members Second Place $30.00Snowflake Group - Ages 11, 12 and 13 First Place - $25.00 Third Place $20.00Santa Group - Ages 14, 15 and 16 First Place - $25.00

6. Entries must be mailed, or hand-delivered to the NSS Home Office by the deadline of December 1st of each year. Please mail to: National Slovak Society ATT: Ornament Contest, 351 Valley Brook Road, McMurray, PA 15317-3337. BESURE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE RULES CAREFULLY SO YOU DO NOT LOSE POINTS IN THE JUDGING.

Assembly 731 New Member

Assembly 731 welcomes LoganMason to the NSS Family. Loganwas born on July 31, 2018 toBeth and Matthew Mason. Hisbig sister, Ashlynn, and bigbrother, Cameron, are excited tohave this beautiful new additionto the family. Logan joins NSScontinuing a family tradition ofsix generations over the past 100 years. In addition to his parents and siblings, this also includes grandparents, Peggy &

Mark Mason and Laurie & Mike Fox; great-grandmothers, Ruth Burns and Margaret Fox and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Past generations includedhis great-great grandmothers, Mary Burns and Elizabeth Ferry and great-great-great grandparents, Mary & John Bolash.

24 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E

DEADLINE FOR PUBLICATIONPlease be advised that all articles, notices, etc.,MUST BE received by the Home Office no laterthan the 5th of the month. Every effort will bemade to publish the article and photos in a timelymanner and space permitting. Also, all articlesshould be typewritten in regular type.

National Slovak Society(USES 0371-140)351 Valley Brook RoadMcMurray, PA 15317-3337

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPittsburgh, PA

Permit No. 1166

Change of Address

Please use this form to register your change of address for the National News and mail to the HomeOffice. Upon receipt of this form completed in itsentirety, the staff will immediately implement thechange. Thank you.

Name

Assembly No.

New Address

City

State Zip

Former Address

City

State Zip

Recommender Information:

Name:

Phone:

Prospect Information:

Name:

Phone:

Address:

City: State Zip

Could you use a little extra “green?”RecommenderAs a proud member of NSS Life, there is no better time than now to shareyour experience with family and friends. Best of all, you will receive a cashreward for recommending someone that we issue a policy to. You will receivea $25 recommender fee ($10 on the youth term product) for each personthat becomes a member.

Send form to Joe Elliott at the Home Office.

24

DEADLINE FOR PUBLICATIONPlease be advised that all articles, notices, etc.,MUST BE received by the Home Office no laterthan the 5th of the month. Every effort will bemade to publish the article and photos in a timelymanner and space permitting. Also, all articlesshould be typewritten in regular type.

National Slovak Society(USES 0371-140)351 Valley Brook RoadMcMurray, PA 15317-3337

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPittsburgh, PA

Permit No. 1166

Change of Address

Please use this form to register your change of address for the National News and mail to the HomeOffice. Upon receipt of this form completed in itsentirety, the staff will immediately implement thechange. Thank you.

Name

Assembly No.

New Address

City

State Zip

Former Address

City

State Zip

Recommender Information:

Name:

Phone:

Prospect Information:

Name:

Phone:

Address:

City: State Zip

Could you use a little extra “green?”RecommenderAs a proud member of NSS Life, there is no better time than now to shareyour experience with family and friends. Best of all, you will receive a cashreward for recommending someone that we issue a policy to. You will receivea $25 recommender fee ($10 on the youth term product) for each personthat becomes a member.

Send form to Joe Elliott at the Home Office.

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | N S S L I F E

Documents

AWARENESS MONTH National Slovak Society of the …nsslife.org/wp-content/uploads/NSSNatlNewOct18.pdfA dentist, $2500 per year. A veterinarian between $1500 and $4000 per year. A mechanical